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Lazy movements found each other in the middle of the night.
Their sleeping bags were always next to one another, it was always like this. They would stay up many nights when they didn’t have to do anything the next day and just . . . talk. It felt right, it felt like the puzzle pieces were finally aligning when Aang was next to her. It scared her a bit just like it made her feel whole.
When Aang confessed two days ago, Katara felt weird, not because she hated the thought of Aang liking her in that way; no. But because Katara could never for the life of her figure out why it felt like it was the next step in their relationship. She knows friendships with boys and girls didn’t have to end up in a romantic way – always knew even before Sokka was getting rejected by the girls in their tribe, got told they only saw him as a friend and Sokka would mop around for a bit.
So why did she feel that way around Aang?
Still, even after two days of practically zoning out and accidentally rejecting Aang non consciously, she feels like she can breathe again – almost. There’s still the feeling of dread looming over her; looming over all of them. The fight with the Fire Lord was so soon. Way too soon for any of them to be completely emotionally ready, but they know they are psychically.
Her hands found his, and even though she thought he was fast asleep, his hands found hers too. Soon they were intertwined, like nothing is wrong, like they’re not about to have the fight of their lives in a week. “Is this okay?” he asks, and she almost wants to laugh. She settles for a smile and looks him over, like she’s seeing him again for the first time. Strange.
“Of course. I held your hands first, anyway,” she reminds him. He grins. That stupid, sweet and quite captivating smile, that she loves so dearly.
Oh.
Oh.
Katara thinks she understands now why she felt like romance was the next step in their friendship. She likes Aang. The feeling so foreign yet so familiar.
Her heart’s beating fast as she squeezes his hands, getting a squeeze back. It felt natural, like they should be doing this their whole lives; but maybe Katara is getting over herself.
It doesn’t feel the right moment to confess feelings to the Avatar right before battle, so she bottles it up. Easy, considering she always bottled up feelings like these – too new, too intense.
(after the battle, katara would be the first to kiss him. she would confess right then and there, starting the first of many romantic experiences with him
and years down the line, katara would tell their children about the first time she realized she loved aang, and it would make her heart beat just as fast as the first time.)